Toy house



R- B. NICHOLS ET AL TOY HOUSE Filed Sept. 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 4 v I lllllll E 1 13554119 .flooiy f fmzi i H 1 "ll I I 15' I June 4, 1929. R, B. NICHOLS ET A v 1716-238.

TOY HOUSE 7 2 Sheet's-Sheet- 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1927 Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED 1,716,23 'TFFICE.

ROYAL BARLOW NICHOLS AND GEORGE GRANT, OF DER-RY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.:

TOY HOUSE.

Application filed September 2, 1927. Serial No. 217,219.

shall be of a collapsible nature so that-the 1 same may be stored in a small package when not in use but primarily in order that the child or children will derive interest and will be puzzled to a certain extent in the erection of the house so that the improvement is also of an educational character.

A further object is the provision of a toy house that includes a base, a body portion and a roof portion, the body being con-- structed of strips that have fastening means at the ends thereof which not only hold the sides and back of the house together but permit of the swinging of the opening of the house, certain of the strips comprising the body having inscribed thereon representa- 20v tions of windows, etc., and the roof is of peak formation that comprises a pair of hingedly connected members having collapsible ends and being provided with clamps for engaging the top portions of the body of the house for holding the roof in position thereon.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy house in accordance with this invention, the front or door being swung to open position.

Figure 2 is a detail transverse sectional view through the upper portion of the house.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the house including the base thereof, with parts in section to illustrate the fastening means between the parts constituting the body of the house and the base.

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the top or roof of the house in collapsed condition.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the upper strips of the body of the house.

In the illustrated embodiment of our improvement, we have shown a toy house of rectangular formation, but obviously the same may be otherwise shaped.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a flat plate or board which provides the base of the improvement. This base, at points adjacent to its corners,

is formed with depressions and in each of these depressions there is a spring compressible socket member 2.

The body of the house includes sides 8 and 4, a back 5 and a front 6. This part of the house is made up of any desired num ber of strips 7 The strips 7 providing the sides 3 and the back 5 have their opposite ends notched, providing tongues 8 and de- 05 pressions 9. Also the strips constituting the front 6 have one of their ends similarly' notched. The tongues 8 of the strips are designed to be received in the notches or depressions 9 of the abutting strips. All of the strips at their ends are recessed or otherwise depressed for the reception of split metal cup-shaped or globular sockets 1.0 and heads 11 which are designedto be snapped into the sockets. The heads are preferably formed of one of the ends of shanks 12, the opposite ends of the said shanks passing through the sockets 10 and being headed, as at 13, to hold the said sockets in the depressed portions 14 of the 1 strips. From this it will be seen that the body of the house may be built up in a substantial manner and effectively arranged upon the base. Also from this it will be noted that the fasteners comprising the ball and socket connection between the front 6 and the side 3 permits of the said front being swung to close the substantially rectangular body construction or may be likewise swung to open position as disclosed by Figure 1 of the drawings. When in the last mentioned position the entire front of the housing is opened. One or more of the strips constituting the front 6 may be provided with a handle so that the said front may bereadily swung to either open or closed position and likewise the base 1 may be provided with a stop for limiting the swinging of the front to closed position.

To add to the interest of the children erecting the house and to also concentrate their interest in such erection, the ends, the front and the back of the body have inscribed thereon windows and doors, one of such windows being shown in Figure 1 of 5 the drawings. Of course, the strips must be accurately arranged in order that the window will be properly arranged upon the structure. Connected to the top strips of the sides 3 and 4, by ball and socket fasteners similar to that described, there is a strip 15. This strip forms what may be termed the lintel for the swingable front 6. This strip 15 and the upper strip on the back 5 has spaced notches 15 on their outer faces and adjacent to their upper edges, the purpose of which will presently be apparent.

The roof or top of the house comprises two plates 16. The plates may be of cardboard or of any other desired material and the outer faces thereof may have glued thereon imitation shingles. The strips at their confronting ends are connected together by a hinge 17, Figure 2. Obviously, a single strip may be employed for the roof, providing the roof is constructed of bendable material, such as cardboard or the like, and the members 15 on their inner faces, adjacent to their outer ends have secured thereto spring clamps 18 to be received in the notches 15. These clamps hold the roof in peak formation but the plates constituting the roofhave secured upon their inner faces, adjacent to their ends collapsible end strips 19. These strips, as disclosed by Figure 5 of the drawings, are designed to be centrally bent upon themselves when the roof is in collapsed position, and as disclosed by Figure 1 of the drawings, the ends 19 have imprinted thereon representations of windows.

Our improvement is of an extremely simple construction that will afiord amusecompanying drawings, will fully set forth our construction, but while we have illus trated a satlsfactory embodiment of our improved device our features of invention are capable of extended application and we do not wish to be limited to the specific structure herein shown and described;

Having described the invention, we claim:

The combination with a knock-down toy house of a substantially rectangular forma tion having its edges, adjacent to its top provided with spaced notches, of a top for said body, comprising two plates hingedly connected, and each of said plates having spring clamps to be received in'the notches of the body when the plates are folded angularly with respect to each other, cenrally unfoldable end members of substantiall V-sha Jed formation havin their edges secured respectively to the plates and designed to be spread to present flat surfaces when the plates are unfolded to provide a peeked roof for the body.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

ROYAL BARLOV NICHOLS. GEORGE EDGAR GRANT. 

